Partisanship and Gridlock in Congress: Can We Make Democracy Work?

Alex Keyssar, professor of history and social policy, Mark McKinnon, co-founder of No Labels, Theda Skocpol, professor of government and sociology, and Hilda Solis, former US Secretary of Labor joined moderator Karen Gordon Mills, former administrator of the US Small Business Administration for a discussion on partisanship and gridlock in Congress. President of Harvard University, Professor Drew Gilpin Faust delivered opening remarks prior to the panel. The speakers addressed topics ranging from campaign finance reform to the lack of compromise in Congress. Topics also discussed were the effect of the media on politics, what the Congress could do to address the lack of bipartisan cooperation, and the social and political phenomena that fuel the lack of cooperation.